Review by Choice Review
Facts on File's "A to Z of Latino Americans" set offers useful information on over 600 individuals in four volumes. Each volume tackles a different subject area, is written by a different author (all are independent scholars), and has different specifications for inclusion. Each volume includes concise biographical sketches for each person along with an introduction, bibliography, indexes, and photographs. Latino Athletes profiles over 170 athletes representing 26 sports. The men and women featured can trace their roots to 17 nations and were born in 11 distinct decades. All are among the greatest athletes in the history of sports. Latino Writers and Journalists profiles poets, playwrights, screenwriters, authors, editors, and others who have worked to advance the role of Latinos in literature. Entries range from the early colonial period of the 1500s to the present. Each entry includes a brief reading list for further study.Latinos in Science, Math, and Professions profiles many important figures who have contributed to US culture. The basis for inclusion in this volume is that individuals themselves come from "a Spanish-speaking country, or have any ancestry that can be traced to such a country; have lived for some significant period of time in the United States; and have achieved some prominence in one of the physical sciences, mathematics, social sciences, or the field of invention." Latinos in the Arts encompasses both performing and visual artists; all were either born in the US or settled here after emigrating from a Latin country. The reading lists in this volume sometimes include links to the artists' Web sites or titles of videos that the reader might find interesting. Another volume, Latino Political and Social Leaders, has been delayed indefinitely. Each volume in this series fills a gap in the literature of Latino contributions to American culture and society. Students needing a quick biography will find this set useful. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-/upper-level undergraduates and general readers. D. Seaman Baylor University
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Booklist Review
More than 175 Latino scientists, mathematicians, social scientists, and inventors are treated in this volume, among them Luis Walter Alvarez, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics; astronaut Franklin Chang-Díaz; and Antonia Novello, who served as U.S. surgeon general from 1989 to 1993. Entries include brief lists of further readings (primarily Web sites and other reference sources, such as Gale's American Men and Women of Science, 2003); most also have photographs. In addition to the general index, there are indexes by area of activity, ethnicity, and year of birth.--Quinn, Mary Ellen Copyright 2007 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Library Journal Review
These three entries in Facts On File's series each profile more than 175 individuals prominent in their respective fields. Each volume includes an introduction, references for further reading and/or viewing, three subject indexes (organized by area of activity, year of birth, and ethnicity or country of origin), a general index, and between 45 and 60 black-and-white photographs. In Athletes, Friedman (Education Reform, "Library in a Book" series) covers everyone from baseball player Rod Carew and soccer player Pele to NBA star Manu Ginobili and professional golfer Nancy Lopez. For some personalities, he includes personal web sites. Among the figures Newton (Nuclear Power, "Library in a Book" series) profiles in Science, Math and Professions are sociology expert Maxine Baca Zinn; Ellen Ochoa, the first Latina in space; and research entomologist Fernando E. Vega. For Arts, Otfinoski (Hispanics in U.S. History: 1865 to the Present, Volume 2) provides biographical information on folksinger/social activist Joan Baez, actress Lynda Carter (of Wonder Woman fame), and others. BOTTOM LINE The biographies are packed with information on the exciting escapades of each champion of his or her field, and the series as a whole is peerless for its interest and multicultural thrust. The only comparable titles are the corresponding volumes of the publisher's "A to Z of African Americans" series. An inexpensive and recommended purchase for all libraries.-Al Vara, Temple Univ. Libs., Philadelphia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-The distinguished Latino Americans profiled in these extensive overviews include individuals in the United States who trace their ancestry to Spanish-speaking countries and Brazil, as well as natives of those countries who have permanently settled here. However, the works focus on those born in the 20th century, and individuals of Mexican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban descent. Each volume contains more than 150 one- to two-page unsigned entries, arranged alphabetically, and covering such figures as basketball player Manu Ginobili (Athletes), former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona (Science), and Celia Cruz (Arts). Many profiles are accompanied by black-and-white photographs, sometimes dated, that depict subjects in the beginning or prime of their careers. Entries begin with a concise summary of the traits that make the individual noteworthy, followed by a longer narrative. These straightforward, unbiased works are accessible for report writers who need a starting point for gathering current information. A detailed bibliography and further-reading suggestions (and listening and viewing suggestions in Art) are included. These books will be welcome companions to Matt S. Meier's Notable Latino Americans: A Biographical Dictionary (Greenwood, 1997), which contains longer, more detailed entries about 127 U.S.-based Latinos.-Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Choice Review
Review by Booklist Review
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Review by School Library Journal Review
